Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Sep 4 The conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran has been resolved -- at least on the football field with football federations from both countries agreeing to host each other for home and away matches.
The Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) and the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI) on Monday signed a groundbreaking agreement that paves the way for the matches between the two countries to be played on a home and away basis.
"The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is pleased to confirm that all matches between the national teams and clubs of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) and the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI) will take place on a home-and-away basis," the AFC informed in a release on Monday.
Before Monday’s agreement between the two AFC Member Associations, all matches between the SAFF and FFIRI at the national and club levels were mandated to be played in neutral venues in accordance with the 2016 decision of the AFC Competitions Committee and AFC Executive Committee, the statement said.
"The AFC welcomes the historic move as it reflects the commitment of both the SAFF and FFIRI towards fostering closer ties between their respective footballing communities, allowing clubs to host matches on their home turf and visiting the respective away stadiums, creating a more engaging and exciting experience for the fans and players alike," the AFC said.
With the home-and-away matches of the AFC Champions League 2023/24 season between clubs of the SAFF and FFIRI set to kick off on September 19, the AFC is fully committed to ensuring the safety and security of all stakeholders involved in these matches, while securing the necessary approvals of the relevant AFC committees.
Diplomatic ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia have severed for many years which has also impacted football matches between clubs and national teams of the two countries.
In 2022, Iran and Saudi Arabia held five rounds of direct negotiations through Iraqi mediation in Baghdad. There have been reports indicating a mutual desire by the two sides to elevate their negotiations to the political level and move towards re-establishing diplomatic relations
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